Communication networks are increasingly used to supply new services to consumers. It is not uncommon to obtain voice, data, and video services over a single communication network from a single service provider, whereas the same services were previously provided by multiple service providers. Consumers rely on communication networks to obtain various types of content on devices such as mobile phones, tablets, computers, etc. Many consumers, for example, have also replaced legacy telephone service with newer network-based options such as Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP).
As consumers continue to increase the amount of information carried over the communication network, the need for reliability and continuity of service also increases. For example, a common problem for consumers is loss of access to communication networks during a power outage, thereby leaving devices that provide access to communication networks, such as broadband modems, inoperable. Depending on the manner in which services are provided, consumers can be left without any vital communication and internet services (e.g., emergency voice calls). Consumers who rely on VoIP, for example, are unable to make telephone calls to authorities to report emergencies.
An Uninterruptable Power Supply (UPS) can sometimes be used to connect to various devices in order to prevent, for example, data loss during a power outage. Commonly available UPS devices, however, have a very short battery life for sustaining full functionality of the attached devices. This can sometimes be due to the number of non-essential functions and services being provided by devices connected to the UPS. For example, consumers utilize various services streaming music, videos, etc. over the communication network. Consumers also utilize various applications (e.g., social media, chat, etc.) to post and exchange content. Such services and applications, however, are not essential. Nonetheless, they can result in substantial power drains from a UPS, if used during a power outage.
It is not always feasible to increase the capacity and duration of a UPS because it is both cost and size prohibitive. Consumers also cannot be relied upon to manually discontinue the use of non-essential services during a power outage. This is due, at least in part, to the fact that many services and applications include components that continually transmit and receive data in the background without consumer knowledge. Thus, even if a consumer avoids the use of certain applications and services, the communication network may still be used to provide non-essential services during a power outage. Such services, however, can cause a significant reduction in the amount of time available for essential services while using the UPS. Based on the foregoing, there is a need for an approach which allows extended use of selected devices during a power outage.